The Kardashev Alien Civilizations Scale

The observable universe is a large space that has existed for over 13 billion years. Our home galaxy is surrounded by up to two trillion galaxies, consisting of approximately 20,000 billion billion stars. 

Scientists suggest that there are about 40 billion earthly planets in the habitable zone of their stars along the Milky Way alone. When we look at these numbers, it’s hard to imagine that there is no one else. 

The Kardashev Scale is a method for measuring the level of technological development of a civilization based on the amount of energy they can use. The measure was proposed by the Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev in 1964. There are three designated categories on the scale: 

A type 1 civilization, also called a planetary civilization, can use and store all the energy available on its planet. Currently, a Type I civilization is usually defined as one that can harness all the energy that falls on the planet from its parent star (for the Earth-Sun system, which is about four orders of magnitude greater than the amount currently being reached on Earth. 

A type 2 civilization, also called a stellar civilization, can use and control energy across its planetary system. A civilization capable of harnessing the energy emitted by its own star – for example, a stage in the successful construction of a Dyson sphere. 

A type 3 civilization, also called a galactic civilization, can control energy across its entire galaxy. a civilization with access to energy comparable to the luminosity of the entire Milky Way galaxy, 

Kardashev believed that Type 4 civilization was impossible, so he did not go beyond Type 3. However, new types were proposed (0, 4, 5, 6). Some scientists suggest that there may be civilizations of types 4 and 5, whose influence extends to galaxy clusters or superclusters, structures consisting of thousands of galaxies and trillions of stars. 

Ultimately, there may be an Omega-type civilization capable of ruling the entire universe and possibly others. Omega-type civilizations may be the true creators of our universe for reasons beyond our understanding! 

What about the current state of human civilization? 

Well, at present, humanity has not yet reached the status of a Type 1 civilization. 

If people increase their energy consumption by an average of 3 percent each year, they can reach Type 1 status in 100-200 years, Type 2 after a few thousand years and Type 3 status after 100,000–1 million years.